Smith County Man Sentenced For Stealing Government Property

TYLER, Texas – A 34-year-old Tyler, Texas man has been sentenced for stealing government property in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales.

Raymond Kyle Welsh pleaded guilty on Jan. 3, 2013, to theft of government property and was sentenced to three years of probation today by U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis. Welsh was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $222,162.14 and ordered to submit to the forfeiture of $26,588.

According to information presented in court, from January 2003 to September 2010, Welsh concealed and failed to disclose his financial resources and income in order to receive Social Security and Medicaid benefits. Welsh stole approximately $26,588.00 from the Social Security Administration in the form of Social Security Supplemental Income (SSI) payments and $195,574.14 from the Department of Health and Human Services in the form of Medicaid benefits. Welsh admitted that he knew he was not entitled to the benefits and that they belonged to the United States government.

This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Ann Cozby.